Fadel M. Lamen

What President Trump said about Libya is insulting and unacceptable. But it should also compel us to confront a difficult question: What have we done to our own country? Libya’s leaders have failed to build a functioning state, defend its sovereignty, safeguard public funds, and uphold the dignity of its citizens. They have been consumed by dividing power and wealth among themselves, enlisting foreign backing against one another, until Libya’s future became a bargaining chip in other people’s deals. And we Libyans, though we bear different degrees of responsibility, cannot exempt ourselves from scrutiny. We have allowed divisions and narrow loyalties to take precedence over our country. We have stayed silent about corruption when it served our own camp, and accepted from those we support what we condemn in their opponents. Respect is earned, not demanded. It is earned through a state that respects its citizens, a judiciary that holds the corrupt accountable, institutions that defend national sovereignty, and a people who refuse to let their silence be bought or their will be denied. None of this excuses Trump’s insult. But it confronts us with a responsibility that anger at his words cannot erase. The strongest response is to change the reality created by failure, corruption, and complicity—and to build a state that commands respect through its actions. Libya’s dignity is entrusted to us all. Our first duty in defending it is to hold accountable those who have dishonored our country through their actions, just as we reject those who insult it with their words. #Libya

ما قاله الرئيس ترامب عن ليبيا مهين ومرفوض. لكنه يجب أن يدفعنا أيضاً إلى مواجهة أنفسنا بسؤال صعب: ماذا فعلنا نحن ببلادنا؟ لقد أخفق القادة الليبيون في بناء الدولة، وحماية السيادة، وصون المال العام وكرامة المواطن. انشغلوا بتقاسم السلطة والثروة، واستقووا بالخارج على بعضهم، حتى أصبح مستقبل ليبيا موضوعاً لصفقات الآخرين. ونحن الليبيين، وإن تفاوتت مسؤولياتنا، لا نعفي أنفسنا من المحاسبة. فقد سمحنا للانقسامات والولاءات الضيقة بأن تتقدم على الوطن، وصمتنا عن الفساد عندما خدم جماعتنا، وقبلنا ممن نؤيدهم ما ندينه لدى خصومهم. الاحترام يُكتسب ولا يُطلب. يُكتسب بدولة تحترم مواطنيها، وقضاء يحاسب الفاسدين، ومؤسسات تحمي السيادة، وشعب يرفض أن يُشترى صمته أو تُصادر إرادته. هذا لا يبرر إهانة ترامب، لكنه يضع أمامنا مسؤولية لا يمحوها الغضب من كلامه. فالرد الأقوى هو أن نغيّر الواقع الذي صنعه الفشل والفساد والتواطؤ، وأن نبني دولة تفرض احترامها بأفعالها. كرامة ليبيا أمانة في أعناقنا، وأول واجبات صونها أن نحاسب من أهانها بأفعاله، كما نرفض من أساء إليها بأقواله. #Libya

In the absence of a functioning state, floods devastated Derna. Today, Tripoli is drowning… So where is the promised “Return to Life”? The images speak for themselves: flooded streets, submerged cars, crumbling roads, and citizens travelling by boat between buildings. Behind every scene is a family fearing for its home, a business owner counting their losses, and a citizen paying the price of negligence. Where are the stormwater drainage systems? Where are the construction standards? Where are the maintenance and preparedness? Who designed these projects, supervised the work, signed off on completion, and disbursed the funds? The Dbeibah government, which puts its name on “Return to Life” projects and proudly showcases them, must provide clear answers about its performance and its responsibility to protect citizens. Responsibility does not end with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and photographs at an opening. We demand immediate relief for those affected, a full assessment of the losses, and an independent technical investigation led by impartial international experts who cannot be blackmailed, intimidated, or bought. Its findings must be made public. We also demand disclosure of the contracts, costs, company names, and inspection and acceptance reports—and accountability for anyone found responsible for negligence, misconduct, or corruption. People must not be left to suffer time and again, only for accountability to disappear as soon as the floodwaters recede. Libya’s public money is a sacred trust. Protecting its people is a duty. Their dignity is a right. The quality of public projects is measured by the services they deliver and the lives, homes, and livelihoods they protect. Slogans do not drain floodwater. We must build one unified state with a single, effective governing authority, accountable to the people—free from arbitrary rule, plunder, corruption, and the insatiable hunger for power, domination, and control over people’s lives. #Libya.

We condemn in the strongest terms the Houthi terrorist attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which killed twelve people and injured more than three hundred others. We unequivocally reject attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Deliberately targeting them constitutes a war crime and demands accountability. No political or military justification can excuse such acts. We also condemn any attack or threat against the Two Holy Mosques involving missiles or drones. The sanctity of these holy sites and the safety of pilgrims must be protected. Sacred places must never become targets of conflict. We stand in solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people, extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families, and wish the injured a full and speedy recovery. Protecting civilians and safeguarding holy sites are responsibilities that admit no compromise. Innocent lives must never be used as bargaining chips or sacrificed for political gain.

ندين بأشد العبارات الهجوم الإرهابي الحوثي الذي استهدف مطار الملك خالد الدولي بالرياض، وأسفر عن مقتل اثني عشر شخصًا وإصابة أكثر من ثلاثمائة آخرين. ونرفض رفضًا قاطعًا استهداف المدنيين والمنشآت المدنية، ونؤكد أن تعمّد استهدافها جريمة حرب تستوجب المساءلة، ولا يجوز تبريرها بأي ذريعة سياسية أو عسكرية. كما ندين أي استهداف أو تهديد للحرمين الشريفين بالصواريخ أو الطائرات المسيّرة، ونرفض المساس بحرمة المقدسات وأمن الحجاج والمعتمرين، أو تحويل الأماكن المقدسة إلى أهداف للصراع. ونعرب عن تضامننا مع المملكة العربية السعودية وشعبها، ونتقدم بخالص التعازي إلى أسر الضحايا، ونسأل الله الشفاء العاجل للمصابين. فحماية المدنيين وصون المقدسات مسؤولية لا تقبل المساومة، ودماء الأبرياء ليست ورقة ضغط ولا وسيلة لتحقيق مكاسب سياسية.

ندين بأشد العبارات الهجوم الإرهابي الحوثي الذي استهدف مطار الملك خالد الدولي بالرياض، وأسفر عن مقتل اثني عشر شخصًا وإصابة أكثر من ثلاثمائة آخرين. ونرفض رفضًا قاطعًا استهداف المدنيين والمنشآت المدنية، ونؤكد أن تعمّد استهدافها جريمة حرب تستوجب المساءلة، ولا يجوز تبريرها بأي ذريعة سياسية أو عسكرية. كما ندين أي استهداف أو تهديد للحرمين الشريفين بالصواريخ أو الطائرات المسيّرة، ونرفض المساس بحرمة المقدسات وأمن الحجاج والمعتمرين، أو تحويل الأماكن المقدسة إلى أهداف للصراع. ونعرب عن تضامننا مع المملكة العربية السعودية وشعبها، ونتقدم بخالص التعازي إلى أسر الضحايا، ونسأل الله الشفاء العاجل للمصابين. فحماية المدنيين وصون المقدسات مسؤولية لا تقبل المساومة، ودماء الأبرياء ليست ورقة ضغط ولا وسيلة لتحقيق مكاسب سياسية.

The problem is no longer: How many dollars is the Central Bank of Libya injecting into the market? The real question has become: Where does that money go after it is injected? Despite billions of dollars being sold into the market, the parallel-market exchange rate has climbed to around 9.58 Libyan dinars to the dollar. That tells us that increasing supply alone has so far failed to close the gap between the official and parallel exchange rates. With such a wide price differential, weak oversight over the final use of foreign currency, and strong domestic and external demand for dollars, part of every new injection risks being diverted into speculation, arbitrage, and capital outflows rather than remaining inside the Libyan economy and helping bring down the parallel-market rate. This is where we need to recognize an important reality: The Central Bank of Libya may not, in practice, be supplying foreign currency to a market of seven million Libyans alone. It may effectively be financing a much larger market that extends beyond Libya’s geographic borders. It is like trying to fill a tank with holes in the bottom. The more you pour in, the more leaks out — unless you close the channels of leakage first. That is why the question that should be put to the Central Bank is not simply: How many billions of dollars did you sell? The more important questions are: Who was the ultimate beneficiary of each dollar? And where did that dollar end up 30 or 60 days later? Libya may not be suffering from a shortage of dollars as much as it is suffering from a failure to manage both the dollar and the dinar effectively. We earn oil revenues in dollars. A large share of those revenues is then converted into public spending in dinars. Those dinars then return to the market chasing dollars. The Central Bank responds by selling more foreign currency, and part of that foreign currency then leaves the Libyan economy altogether. And so we remain trapped in a closed loop: Dollars enter through oil revenues. Dinars are injected through public spending. Those dinars chase dollars. The Central Bank sells more dollars. And part of those dollars flows back out of the Libyan economy. This is not a sustainable stabilization policy. The fact that the parallel-market rate has reached 9.58 dinars to the dollar, despite all the foreign currency that has been injected, should be read as a clear warning sign: the forces of demand, speculation, and leakage have become stronger than a policy based on increasing supply alone. What Libya needs is not simply more dollars injected into the market. First, we need to know: Where is the money going? Who is benefiting from it? How much of it is actually being converted into goods and services for the Libyan economy? And how much is being recycled into speculation or transferred abroad? The problem is not merely how much foreign currency the Central Bank sells. The deeper issue is whether the state can track, regulate, and retain enough of that money within the national economy. Before we ask: How many dollars should we inject? We should first ask: How many of those dollars actually remain in Libya? #Libya, #CBL, #NOC

What southern Libya endured for years—amid our silence, indifference, and willingness to look the other way—is now being endured by Libya as a whole. Libyans continue to suffer from recurring power outages and long queues at fuel stations. Meanwhile, the price of diesel on the parallel market has risen to more than eight Libyan dinars per litre, even though its official subsidized price is no more than twenty dirhams. At the same time, oil experts point out that “monthly fuel import bills have exceeded one billion dollars—a figure that cannot be explained solely by higher oil and petroleum-product prices, particularly amid indications that the invoiced value of imported fuel shipments has increased by as much as 100 percent because of unprecedented price manipulation.” The hardship now extends across every part of Libya. The cost of services and locally produced goods—including drinking water—has increased, as have the prices of bread and other basic necessities. The one thing that continues to collapse is the Libyan dinar, which is rapidly losing value against the US dollar, with the exchange rate reaching approximately 9.10 dinars to the dollar. The danger of this collapse lies not only in the importance of the dollar itself, but also in its central role within Libya’s economic cycle. Libya imports more than 95 percent of its basic needs, including essential foodstuffs and raw materials used in domestic production. In both cases, the dinar’s depreciation drives up the price of virtually every good and service, while ordinary citizens alone are left to bear the cost of failure, mismanagement, corruption, and the manipulation of the country’s wealth. How can a country that produces oil and spends more than one billion dollars every month importing fuel leave its citizens suffering from power outages, fuel shortages, and diesel prices forty times higher than the official rate? Where are these billions going? Who benefits from this dysfunction and manipulation? And who will be held accountable? Libya is burning through its foreign-currency reserves and mortgaging the future of generations to come. What is happening is not merely a temporary crisis. It is the direct result of administrative collapse, the absence of oversight and accountability, continued institutional division, and uncontrolled public spending. Libya is not a poor country; it is a country whose resources are being systematically drained while the suffering of its people deepens by the day. The time for indifference and looking the other way is over. Today, the suffering is shared, the destiny is shared, and the solution can only be a comprehensive national solution for all of Libya. No city can be saved in isolation, and no region can achieve stability at the expense of another. Either all of Libya rises together, or suffering will continue to pursue everyone. #Libya

#Libya will rise from the ashes of war, greed, corruption, selfishness, jealousy, despair, anger, hatred, fear, lawlessness, chaos, and statelessness. Of this, I have no doubt. God willing, Libya will rise again.

arcus’s Arch—and Marcus’s Perspective Last Thursday evening, I passed by the Arch of Marcus Aurelius while reflecting on the Al-Madina Club building and the basketball court where I trained for many years under the guidance of the respected teacher and accomplished coach Ramadan Hamouda—may God have mercy on him. That court, which held so much of our childhood and youth, has now been converted into a six-a-side football pitch. Such is life: places change, their purposes evolve, yet the memories attached to them remain alive within us. I was overcome by nostalgia for my old club, Al-Madina, and found myself gazing at the nearby Arch of Marcus Aurelius. Libya is a country steeped in history—a crossroads where civilizations have accumulated and succeeded one another over the centuries. In the heart of Tripoli’s Old City stands the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, bearing witness to one of those eras and to the place this land once occupied in the history of the Mediterranean and the ancient world. But Marcus Aurelius was not merely a Roman emperor. He was also a philosopher and teacher whose Meditations immortalized his reflections on humanity, life, duty, power, and virtue. We have the Arch of Marcus Aurelius the emperor as a historic landmark in the heart of the Old City. But can we also learn from the perspective of Marcus Aurelius the philosopher and teacher? Marcus Aurelius believed that we do not control everything that happens to us, but we do control: ●How we judge events. ●How we respond to them. ●Our conduct. ●Our decisions. ●Our commitment to virtue and duty. In our Libyan reality, some believe that we have no control over what happens. And so, day after day, they wait to hear what foreign powers will say or what the “international community” will do. They move from one UN briefing to the next, anticipating what Tetteh might say or what the representative of this or that country might announce—as though Libya’s destiny were always shaped outside #Libya. Yet the truth, as Marcus Aurelius teaches us, is that while we may not be able to control everything happening around us, we can—and indeed must—take responsibility for what lies within our power: our will, our decisions, and our actions. We cannot, by ourselves, control the positions of every country, the calculations of international and regional powers, or the many competing interests entangled on our soil. But we can define our own position, organize our ranks, fulfil our duty, build our institutions, and place Libya’s interests above personal, factional, and regional interests. The decisions we make and the actions we take, however limited they may appear, will undoubtedly influence the course of events, both directly and indirectly. Foreign powers do not operate in a vacuum; more often than not, they exploit our internal weakness, division, hesitation, and failure to take the initiative. Reclaiming the national initiative does not mean ignoring the world or rejecting cooperation with the international community. It means refusing to wait for others to think on our behalf, decide in our place, or build for us the state that we ourselves have failed to agree upon building. While the Arch of Marcus Aurelius has stood for centuries as a witness to a bygone era, the perspective of Marcus the philosopher remains relevant to our present: do not squander your energy complaining about what lies beyond your control. Begin instead with what is within your power, and fulfil your duty with courage, wisdom, and discipline. Nations do not shape their future by waiting to hear what others will say. They shape it through the decisions they make, the responsibilities they shoulder, and the will they summon to act. We have the Arch of Marcus Aurelius in Tripoli. But without his perspective, we will continue to complain about vanishing electricity, fuel shortages, rampant corruption, the tyranny of the corrupt, and the collapse of what remains of the state.

The targeting of Major General Fawzi Al-Mansouri through a car bombing is an act of terrorism and a political assassination with serious and far-reaching implications. The return of car bombings, direct targeting, and assassinations must not be allowed to pass without thorough and credible investigations that identify the perpetrator or perpetrators, as well as those who planned, ordered, carried out, and financed these acts—whether they are domestic actors or otherwise. The return of targeted and political assassinations anywhere in Libya is unacceptable and must be unequivocally condemned and firmly confronted, regardless of the identity of the victim or those responsible. The reemergence of such methods in Libya is an alarming development that threatens the country’s security and stability and brings back painful memories of periods during which Libyans paid a heavy price in lives, security, and stability. Nor should we overlook, in this context, the criminal and dangerous use of drones to destroy the assets of the Libyan state and the property of the Libyan people, including storage tanks, fuel tanks, and equipment at the Zawiya refinery. The use of drones to carry out acts of sabotage and terrorism against the country’s critical infrastructure and national assets is a dangerous and systematic practice that must neither be ignored nor treated as an isolated or passing incident. To date, we have heard of no serious investigation or clear action by the de facto authorities in Tripoli to determine who is behind these attacks, identify those responsible for destroying the country’s assets, and hold them accountable. The return of political assassinations, car bombings, and weaponized drones as tools for eliminating opponents or destroying state assets represents an extremely dangerous development. Such acts must not go uninvestigated or unpunished, nor can we allow a culture of impunity and evasion of responsibility to take hold once again. May God have mercy on Major General Fawzi Al-Mansouri, forgive him, grant him eternal peace, and give his family, colleagues, and commanders patience and strength in their loss. We also mourn all those who lost their lives in the violence and armed clashes that engulfed the city of Zawiya, and we extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones. We hold the relevant official authorities—those bearing legal and moral responsibility—accountable for what occurred. It was their duty to protect the lives of citizens, prevent the descent into violence and armed conflict, and safeguard security and stability. #Libya

Life Returning — or Life Fleeing!!! Electricity, Water, and Fuel… #Libya’s Triple Crisis Electricity, water, and fuel — three essentials that today encapsulate a large part of Libya’s crisis and reveal just how far the absence of the most basic public services has come to threaten people’s lives and their ability to carry on with their daily existence. Without electricity, the problem is not simply the absence of lighting or air conditioning, or freezers shutting down and food and meat going bad. Without electricity, drinking-water production plants cannot operate. Without electricity, bakeries close, creating shortages of bread — one of the most basic staples on the Libyan table. Without drinking water, people face thirst. And without electricity, the public pumping stations that deliver water through the Great Man-Made River system also stop functioning, cutting off the water people need for everyday life. Those fortunate enough to have a well may turn to groundwater. But even a well needs a pump, and without electricity, the pump will not work. Without fuel, you cannot run it with a generator either. When the electricity goes out, people turn to generators. But without fuel, the generators do not run. And so we find ourselves trapped in a vicious circle: No electricity… no water. No electricity… so we need generators. No fuel… so the generators cannot run. A liter of fuel that officially costs 0.15 Libyan dinars is now selling on the black market for around 8 dinars in northern Libya, and between 12 and 20 dinars in the south. And without fuel, it is not only generators that stop running. Trucks transporting food, medical supplies, medicines, and other essential goods will also grind to a halt. No electricity. No water. No fuel. How is a society supposed to live? A friend said to me: “I have a generator. I have a well. And I have enough money to buy fuel at ten dinars a liter. Do I even need a state or a government?” It is a painful question. But it goes straight to the heart of the crisis. A state is not a name. It is not a government, ministers, offices, motorcades, and budgets. A state exists when its citizens can feel its presence in their daily lives. In the electricity that reaches their homes. In the water they drink. In the bread they can buy. In the fuel they can obtain. In the hospital that treats them. In the school that educates their children. In the roads they travel. And in the security that protects them. But when citizens are left to find their own electricity, secure their own water and fuel, buy their own generators, dig their own wells, and pay out of their own pockets for the most basic necessities of life, then it is only natural for them to ask: Where is the state? And why do we need a government if citizens are expected to do everything for themselves? Last week, I had an experience that almost perfectly sums up the entire situation. I went from one electricity company office to another trying to recharge my prepaid electricity meter. In other words, I was searching for somewhere to pay for electricity that had already disappeared! Paying in advance for a service that does not exist. It is like topping up your mobile phone with Libyana or Almadar when there is absolutely no coverage — or no service at all. I went from office to office, from central Tripoli to its outskirts. Some offices were closed. Others could not operate because the electricity was out and they could not even turn on their computers! The electricity company itself could not serve its customers because it had no electricity. Meanwhile, my neighbors and I were buying fuel at eight dinars a liter just to keep our generators running. And our electricity had been cut off continuously for more than 24 hours. This is not simply an electricity crisis. It is not simply a water crisis. And it is not simply a fuel crisis. It is a crisis of management.

النضال والعمل الوطني مشوار، وليس محطة مشوار طويل، تتخلله محطات وأحداث وحوادث. فالنضال والعمل الوطني ليس لقصيري النفَس، ولا للمستعجلين، ولا لأصحاب المآرب. وبناء الدول ليس ملعباً لأصحاب المصالح الآنية، بل ميدان الصابرين الذين يقيسون النجاح بعمر الأوطان لا بعمر اللحظة. وكما قال المناضل المرحوم عبد السلام المسماري: “لا بد من ليبيا، وإن طال النضال.” سيكون للكثيرين شرف البناء، بإذن الله. وستكون ليبيا أماً للجميع، لأبنائها البررة ولأبنائها الذين أساؤوا إليها، بقصد أو بغير قصد. ستكون حضناً واحداً للبررة والمسيئين، لا تُقصي من أخطأ ولا تنسى من أخلص. أصحاب العجلة يرونه سراباً بعيداً، وأصحاب الصبر يرونه فجراً قريباً. فمن وقف عند محطة ظن المشوار قد انتهى، ومن واصل المسير رآه على مقربة من تمامه. #ليبيا

Spain, World Champions. Sport won. Sportsmanship won. Discipline, perseverance, clean determination, balance, teamwork, and composure won. As a former athlete, I know what it means to stay focused, resist provocation, trust the team, and perform with consistency for 120 minutes. Congratulations to Spain — a team that represented its country, the game, and the values of sport at their very best. A model not only for football, but for life: success is built on discipline, teamwork, resilience, and the will to keep going until the final moment. #spain #WorldFootball

بلادة الأُلفة: حين يتحول الفساد من جريمة إلى مهارة لا يكاد يمر يوم، بل أحياناً لا تمر ساعات، إلا وتقذف بنا مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي إلى فضيحة جديدة: نهبٌ للمال العام، ووثائق تكشف وقائع فساد، وأسماء لمتورطين، وصور لمتهمين، بعضهم يشغل أعلى مواقع الدولة. ولا يألو المدونون الذين يكشفون هذه الفضائح جهداً، ويسندهم في ذلك من يمدهم بالوثائق والمعلومات، إيماناً منهم بأن كشف الحقيقة واجب وطني لا يجوز التراجع عنه. غير أن دوائر الفساد، بدلاً من أن تنكمش، تتسع. وبدلاً من أن يستتر مرتكبوها، يجاهرون بما فعلوا. وبدلاً من أن يُقابلوا بالازدراء، يُقابل بعضهم بالإعجاب. فتسمع عبارات من قبيل: “صحة ليده”، و”يعرف كيف يغرف ويأكل”، و”شاطر وفالح”. ثم يتحول الإعجاب إلى مجاراة، والمجاراة إلى تقليد، والتقليد إلى سعي محموم وراء “الحصة”. هكذا، وفي غياب المساءلة والعقاب، لا يتحول الفساد وحده إلى عادة، بل يتحول كشفه أيضاً إلى عادة. يُستهلك الخبر، وتشتعل موجة الغضب لساعات أو أيام، ثم ينطفئ كل شيء، ويُطوى الملف من غير أثر. ومع مرور الوقت، يترسخ بين الناس منطق: “هي رايحة رايحة”، ويغلب مبدأ: “إذا لم تستطع منعهم فانضم إليهم”. ويتسلل إلى النفوس شعور خفي بأن سفينة الوطن غارقة لا محالة، وأن الحكمة لم تعد في إنقاذها، بل في اقتناص أكبر قدر ممكن من الغنائم قبل أن تغرق. بهذه الطريقة، ومن غير أن نشعر، يصبح الفساد مألوفاً، ويصبح قبوله شائعاً. ولا تعود التعرية التي يمارسها المدونون باعثةً للخوف أو الخجل لدى الفاسد، بل تتحول أحياناً إلى وسيلة للتباهي واستعراض النفوذ، وكأن كثرة الاتهامات دليل على القوة لا على الانحراف. وفي غياب القانون الرادع، وغياب مؤسسات الدولة القادرة على حماية المال العام وإنفاذ العدالة، يتحول جهد المفسدين من نهب فردي متفرق إلى مشروع جماعي، غير معلن، لإدامة انهيار الدولة ومنع قيامها من جديد. وهنا يفرض السؤال نفسه: حين نُكثر الحديث عن الفساد، من غير أن تتحرك المؤسسات المنوط بها محاسبته، هل نصنع ــ من حيث لا ندري ــ ما يمكن تسميته بـ”بلادة الأُلفة”؟ هل نُخرج الفساد، رويداً رويداً، من دائرة المرفوض والمستنكر والمجرَّم، لندخله إلى دائرة المقبول، بل والمُعجب به، حيث يُقاس مرتكبه بمعيار الجرأة والدهاء، لا بمعيار النزاهة والأمانة؟ إن الفضح وحده لا يكفي. فالفضح يوقظ الضمير حين يعقبه حساب، لكنه قد يفقد أثره حين يتكرر من غير عدالة. وعندما يصبح الكشف خبراً يومياً بلا عقاب، فإنه لا يبني الوعي، بل قد يخدره، ولا يعزز مناعة المجتمع، بل يضعفها. والأمم لا تنهار يوم ينتشر فيها الفساد فحسب، بل قد تبدأ بالانهيار يوم تعتاد عليه، وتتوقف عن الغضب له، ويصبح الاستثناء هو النزاهة، بينما يغدو الفساد هو القاعدة التي يتكيف معها الجميع. فالدولة لا يحطمها الفساد وحده، وإنما يحطمها اعتياد المجتمع على الفساد. والأمة التي تعتاد سماع الفضيحة من غير أن ترى العقاب، تُخاطر بأن تفقد، مع الوقت، قدرتها على الغضب.

Countries are not built through deals; they are built through consensus. The broader the national consensus—embracing the sons and daughters of the nation in all their diversity, backgrounds, and political currents—the stronger, more resilient, and more enduring that consensus becomes. It is the true foundation of stability. There is no place in such a project for exclusion, marginalization, or a veto against any individual or group. Everyone is part of this nation, and everyone has a place in rebuilding it, regardless of past disagreements, political differences, or even periods of conflict and confrontation. People can make mistakes. They can misjudge situations or choose different paths at different moments in history. But that alone should never be grounds to question their patriotism or their commitment to their country. The real test of nation-building is whether people are willing to come together in service of the national interest. It is through that process that they demonstrate the sincerity of their commitment and affirm that loyalty to the nation rises above past divisions, and that genuine patriotism is indivisible. Libya has no future except as a state that belongs to all its citizens. Lasting stability can only emerge from a genuine national consensus founded on partnership, the rule of law, respect for diversity, and the conviction that the nation is greater than any individual, any faction, or any political interest—and that building it is the responsibility of us all. #Libya

As the United States celebrates 250 years of independence, it also celebrates 250 years of a constitutional republic founded on the enduring ideals of freedom, representation, democracy, and the rule of law. Those principles transformed America into a beacon of hope, the envy of nations, and the destination for generations seeking refuge, liberty, opportunity, and the chance to pursue their dreams. The nation’s continued success over the next 250 years will depend not only on innovation, prosperity, and national strength, but above all on preserving the constitutional principles and institutions that made that success possible. That is an important lesson for Libya. Stable states are not built through elite bargains that divide power among a few influential actors. They are built through legitimate institutions, constitutional rules, accountability, and the consent of the governed. Any initiative that seeks to stabilize Libya by negotiating a power-sharing arrangement among competing elites, while sidelining the broader Libyan people and postponing genuine political legitimacy, may produce a temporary pause in conflict. But it cannot produce a durable state. History shows that lasting stability comes from institutions—not personalities; from the rule of law—not the balance of armed factions; and from the legitimacy that only an inclusive political process can provide. Libya does not need another elite pact. It needs a republic built on the same universal principles that have enabled constitutional democracies to endure: representative government, accountable institutions, equal citizenship, and the peaceful transfer of power through credible elections. #Libya #USA

“Having a seat at the table is fundamentally different from owning the table.” #Libya